Outing equipment



Oct. 17, 1933. l. A. PRINGLE 1,930,942

OUTING EQUIPMENT Filed June 17, 1931 2 Silents-Sheet 1 INVENIOR.

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ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 17, 1933. A P N 1,930,942

OUTING EQUIPMENT Filed June 17. 1951 2 Sheets-Shet 2 INVEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 17, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to outing equipment,

and more particularly to improvements in connection with blankets or robes, and the like, and

cushions to be used therewith, as well as means for rendering the same conveniently portable and better adapted to serve the several purposes to which such accoutrements are put. It is the object of the present invention t provide improvements in outing equipment by means of which the same may be put to any one of several uses, easily and quickly, and may be packed and unpacked expeditiously, and so constructed as to assume a neat-appearing, convenient parcel for portability.

The invention consists, principally, of a sheet, or robe, adapted to be spread upon the ground, or wherever it may be used. One end of the sheet is formed into a bag, or receptacle, to contain the remainder of it. A cushion is provided and adapted to be detachably secured to the sheet in one or more places, and may also be contained by the bag. A rigid member is also provided to serve as a back-rest or headrest for the user, and is carried in a pocket formed in the bag. The rigid'member extends outwardly from the pocket, to serve as a carrying handle for the bag.

A better understanding of the invention may be had from the following specification, in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings, where one form of the invention is shown by way of illustration. In these drawings,-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a parcel embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the opposite side of the parcel shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a. perspective view of the outing equipment in its unpacked position as it would appear when spread for use.

Fig. 4 is a modification of a portion of the equipment, as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the equipment in a partially packed position.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the equipment 5 spread for use and employed in connection with a back-rest.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a back-rest. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the bag, showing the manner in which the back-rest is contained 50 thereby and secured thereto, and

Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the bag, showing the position of the sheet and cushion when contained thereby. l

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 65 and first to Fig. 3, I show outing equipment which consists of a sheet 10 and bag 11 and a cushion 12. The sheet 10, which is preferably formed of canvas-like material, when the equipment is intended for beach or picnic use, or which may be formed of softer or woolen material for steamer-chair use, and the like, has, at its outer edges, flaps 13 which may be spread out to assume a flat position, as shown, or folded over the user to provide warmth when desired. The bag 11 is preferably formed of the same material as the sheet 10, and may, in fact, be made from an extension of the same piece of goods. The cushion 12, which may be either of the pneumatic type or stuffed with suitable material, is fastened by means of detachable snaps 14, of conventional design, to the opposite end of the sheet. Similar snaps 15 are provided at the end adjacent the bag, so that the cushion may be fastened at that place for certain purposes, as hereinafter described. 7

The equipment, as shown in this Figure, is arranged for use on a steamer-chair, or the like, and the bag 11 isprovided'with an extension or flap 16. In use, the sheet 10 is spread over the chair and so positioned that the feet of the occupant may be inserted into the bag 11, while his head rests on cushion 12. The flap 16 is then drawn upwardly, and the flaps l3 folded over the body for protection.

In Fig. 4, I show a modified form of the flap 3 16, in which it is provided with edges 17, which form a continuation of the sides or boxing of the bag 11. The flap 16 when so designed, lends additional protection against small drafts that might otherwise enter about the legs of the 901 occupant.

In Fig. 5 the sheet 10 is shown with the flaps 13 folded over it so that it assumes a width substantially the same as that of the bag 11;

and when the flaps are so folded, the cushion and sheet may be folded or rolled to assume a position within the bag where they may be conveniently carried.

When it is desired to use the equipment to recline upon, on the beach, or the like, the m0 cushion 12 is secured to the fastening means 15, and a back-rest 18 is employed in the manner shown in Fig. 6. The back-rest is best shown in Fig. 7, as consisting of a pair of flat members 19 formed of a suitable material of substantial rigidity, and hinged together at their top edges as at 20. The members 19 may be frame-shaped, as shown, to reduce their weight, and are provided with straps 21 connecting their lower edges to limit separation thereof. The straps 21 are provided with a series of fastening means 22, so that the incline of the back-rest may be varied and the members 19 are formed with complementary slots 23 adjacent their upper edges to provide a handle for the back-rest.

In Fig. 8, the bag is shown asprovided on one side with a. pocket 24, formed of a piece of material sewed thereto, and adapted to receive the back-rest when the equipment is packed for carrying. Ribbons 25 are sewed to the bag, for use in tying the back-rest to the equipment when it is used in the position shown in Fig. 6, and a flexible tab 26 is secured to the bag and adapted to be passed through the slots 23 in the back-rest in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2, from which figures it will clearly appear that the handle provided by the slots 23 will serve as a means by which the entire bag, enclosing the sheet and cushion, may be carried in the manner of a suit case.

' Any suitable closing means may be employed on the bag, and I have illustrated the use of the conventional metallic closure member generally termed the zipper at 2'7.

Other means for carrying the bag are shown in Fig. 1 and consist of a pair of rings 28 near its upper edge, a second pair of rings 29 near its lower edge; a strap 30 and a strap 31. Strap 30 is in the form of a conventional handle, and may be employed for carrying the bag when the back-rest is not used. The strap 31 is shown as passed through the rings 29 and fastened at itsends to the rings 28 by" means of small harness snaps 32, and in this position provides arm loops so that the bag may be carried as a knapsack on the back. The strap 31 may also be connected to the rings 28 without having been passed through the rings 29, in which position it can be put over one shoulder, permitting the bag to be suspended beneath the arm.

It is further intended that, if desired, the strap 31 may be used in connection with the back-rest member instead of the flexible members 21 shown thereon. In such use, one of the members 19 forming the back-rest may be inserted into the pocket 24 while the strap 31 may be employed to form a connection between the rings 29 and the other half of the back-rest to limit spreading of the hinged back-rest members, having substantially the same effect as the members 21, as hereinabove set forth.

It is obvious from the foregoing that I have provided a novel arrangement of outing equipment by means of which comparatively few and inexpensive parts may be employed to serve many different purposes and. in which portability is greatly facilitated. It should be understood that the size and particular shape, as well as the materials of which the invention consists, may be modified to suit the taste of the user -or manufacturer, as well as the purposes for which the equipment is used. It is also foreseen that the bag may be made considerably larger, so as to receive other objects used in connection with picnicking and bathing, and may be provided with additional compartments or pockets at the discretion of the manufacturer. And while I have shown a preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes may be resorted to in the arrangement and construction of the several parts without departing from the spirit and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, a flexible sheet, a bag secured to and adapted to receive said sheet, a foldable back-rest, means to secure the back-rest to the sheet to support a portion of the same in an inclined position, and a pocket on said bag for receiving said back-rest.

2. In a device of the character described, a flexible sheet, a bag secured to and adapted to receive said sheet, a foldable back-rest comprising a pair of fiat members hingedly joined at one edge, and having slots formed therein forming a handle therefor, and means for securing 105 said back-rest to said bag whereby the backrest and bag may be carried by said handle.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a bag adapted to receive outing equipment, a back-rest to be used with said outing 110 equipment and having a handle formed therein, a pocket on said bag to receive said backrest, and a flexible tab on said bag adapted to be inserted through the handle of the back-rest when it is in the pocket to fasten the bag and 115 back-rest together, whereby both may be carried by the handle of the back-rest.

4. A device of the character described, comprising a bag adapted to receive outing equipment, a back-rest to be used with said outing 120 equipment and having a handle formed therein, a pocket on said bag to'receive said back-rest, and means to secure the back-rest in said pocket, whereby the bag and back-rest may both be carried by the handle on the back-rest.

5. A device of the character described, comprising a bag for the reception of outing equipment, a back-rest for use with said outing equipment and comprising a handle, said back-rest being insertable into the bag whereby the bag 130 and back-rest may both be carried by the handle of the back-rest.

ISABEL A. PRINGLE. 

